Looking for some input and ideas for daughters first rifle.

Orange Dust said:

We start them so young in the South they never have an opportunity to know any different. Girls, Boys, doesn't matter. They are old enough to wipe their own butt, they are big enough to go shooting and hunting with Daddy. They get to shoot when they are shooting well enough to hit what they are aiming at with no help. Age is irrelevant. They get to go hunting as an observer as young as they are willing to go. Just for a few minutes at a time. This is best done at midday between real hunts.

Click to expand...

I try to take my 2 (10 and 8) as much as possible, but they get bored if there's no action, and there's always competition from Roblox, Minecraft, Netflix, etc. At that age I used to LOVE hunting with my Grandad.

Maybe I'm too far south.

R.C.Saul said:

Looking for some input and ideas for daughters first rifle.

Thinking of building my baby girl a bolt gun to hunt and learn with. I'm after low recoil more than a distance requirement. Mostly for Texas/Nm deer, antelope, coyotes, and some pigs. It'll be a switch barrel on an existing Rem 700 short action I have. First barrel will be .223 Wilde.

Second barrel- I'm debating between 300 Blackout, 6.5 Grendel, or 6.8 Spc. Any input is appreciated.

Click to expand...

How old is your daughter? Since its a switch barrel with at .223 bolt face, while it would still need a different bolt face, I would go with the Grendel. It is adequate for Whitetail out to around 250yds or so and a good prairie dog gun to boot. It should feed well with the .223 follower and simplify the gunsmith's job in making the two barrels easily interchangeable. Of course the same can be said for the 6.8 round. I think that has to be modified, which would mean a different bolt that is also interchangeable for the 700 short action. I wouldn't use the blackout. It is limited to about 100 yards due to trajectory. The others will match the .223 round's trajectory pretty closely out to around 350 yards so she can use the same aimpoints with all of them. The Grendel will get about 2600 fps from a 24 inch barrel, maximum, and the 6.8 SPC will get about the same from a 130 grain bullet and a 24 inch barrel, which makes them around 2550 max in a 22 inch barrel. That will work for deer and hogs. Recoil should be very low, and at a later date, all you have to do is change bolts and barrels to upgrade if you want or need to.

With no disrespect (I'm serious) is she even out of diapers yet?

.243 will give her huge options for varmints to big game. Sooooo much ammo available you are bound to find several loads that are tackdrivers. If you want a light gun with a 22" bbl you can put a brake on it and it will feel like a heavy barrel 223. Any of the major manufacturers. If cost is an issue then savage with an accutrigger may be the way to go. The mossberg MVP is awesome too. Most others will need a replacement trigger for precision accuracy. Theres no denying Remington availability of aftermarket parts. The Howa 1500 is an awesome gun with a Hogue overmolded stock it absorbs recoil and vibration and is easy to grip and carry. Lots of choices, but I think a 243 is a no brainer. She can hunt prairie dogs, woodchucks, coyote, Deer and bear, antelope and even elk with the right loads. Nosler Partitions and swift A-frames and the like provide awesome penetration.

My experience (and I did not go through the whole thread), My child is 15yrs about 130lbs. 7mm-08 with knowing how to flow with the recoil. Works.

With those options I would build the 6.5 grendel.
I'm curious why 243 isnt an option but you know your reasons.
I built all my 4 children a 243 bolt when they got old enough and they still have them 20 years later. Still use them. It is any thing from a varmint gun to a medium sized game rifle with light recoil and it is easy to get the components to reload or work up a load for.
Enjoy the journey and good shooting.

R.C.Saul said:

Looking for some input and ideas for daughters first rifle.

Thinking of building my baby girl a bolt gun to hunt and learn with. I'm after low recoil more than a distance requirement. Mostly for Texas/Nm deer, antelope, coyotes, and some pigs. It'll be a switch barrel on an existing Rem 700 short action I have. First barrel will be .223 Wilde.

Second barrel- I'm debating between 300 Blackout, 6.5 Grendel, or 6.8 Spc. Any input is appreciated.

Click to expand...

I started my kids with 6.5X55 swedish mauser. Low recoil, shoots tight groups and pushes good loads for deer.

.243 - .308 or .270 w/muzzle break

I have a Howa 1500 mini in 6.5 Grendel that has almost no recoil and handled great in a stand or blind.

GunHawk said:

I try to take my 2 (10 and 8) as much as possible, but they get bored if there's no action, and there's always competition from Roblox, Minecraft, Netflix, etc. At that age I used to LOVE hunting with my Grandad.

Maybe I'm too far south.

Click to expand...

Maybe. Honest to God, first time I went duck hunting I was two days old and Mom was still in the Hospital. They wrapped me up and put me by the old charcoal pot in the blind at the Buckbrush Pond. Granddad said: The boy's got to get used to gunfire. Boy did they get in trouble, or so I was told. I still can't hear anything, but I am used to gunfire. True Story. Actually they were commercial hunting and had hunters, and no other place to put me, but he did say that.

Son and daughter both learned to shoot with a 250 Savage. 600 Remington with 19" bbl. My son is teaching his son on same rifle. Easy to load light. Great caliber for young shooters.

R.C.Saul said:

Looking for some input and ideas for daughters first rifle.

Thinking of building my baby girl a bolt gun to hunt and learn with. I'm after low recoil more than a distance requirement. Mostly for Texas/Nm deer, antelope, coyotes, and some pigs. It'll be a switch barrel on an existing Rem 700 short action I have. First barrel will be .223 Wilde.

Second barrel- I'm debating between 300 Blackout, 6.5 Grendel, or 6.8 Spc. Any input is appreciated.

Click to expand...

I just set up a 6.5 Creedmoor for my grandkids. Bought a Howa 1500 and ordered a youth stock. With 135 grain Berger Classic Hunter bullet & 43 gr. H4350 powder & CCI 200 primer, it is shooting 0.24" groups at 100 yards. Seating @ SAAMI Max OAL. Berger recommended the Classic Hunter, noting that it accommodates short magazines where VLD's can't be used and extended to meet the lands of the barrel for accuracy.

Also just bought a Diamondback AR10 that is shooting sub-minute accuracy using bulk ammo. The AR10 has no recoil, and great adjustment on stock length. Not a pretty bolt action hunting rifle, but something to consider.

Loving the 6.5 Creedmoor.

Still use the 6.5-284 for my hunting deer size game, but the 6.5 Creedmoor should do well too.

EuroOptic has a great buy on Mauser M18 rifles. 6.5 Creedmoor at about $450. which for that level of quality is a very good buy.

Eric B.

SnowbirdUT said:

i have twin 18 year old girls. I built 2 270 WSMs for them. I suppressed both rifles because their ears are not damaged like mine. Both rifles are soft shooters yet effective at medium to longer range (800 yards) on elk. Both girls have used my 300 RUM as well. One of my girls shot her first buck with my 300 RUM (I failed to get her rifle sighted in in time).
Unfortunately, they are both at school and I wasn't able to take them hunting this year.

Females are very good shots if encouraged. My daughters are more disciplined than my son (although my son is a good shot as well and he still hunts).

Click to expand...

You daughter's rifle is suspiciously similar to my daughter's 6.5SLR....expensive! Nice optics on it too.